The present invention relates generally to the field of electronic flasher devices, and more particularly to an electronic flasher device which is sufficiently compact to fit comfortably within an average adult human hand or the pocket of clothing, or which can be worn on a wrist or mounted on a suitable support.
It has long been well known that portable flashing devices are very effective in the dark for warning observers of some characteristic of danger, or other condition which requires close attention by the observer. An all inclusive list of the types of situations in which flashing devices are used is far beyond the scope of this specification, but a few to which the present invention are related were worthy of mention.
Cyclists who ride at night are particularly vulnerable to vehicular hazards since they are not readily visible to rapidly approaching drivers, either because they have no bicycle lights or because the relatively simple flashlight type lights typically utilized by cyclists either do not attract attention or blend in with other surrounding lights.
Pedestrians who walk at night are similarly vulnerable, especially when walking in the roadway, crossing intersections or merely standing by the roadside.
Drivers whose vehicles have broken down at night, such as with a flat tire or out of gasoline, and who attempt to fix the tire or wait by the car, are subject to being struck by oncoming vehicles, especially if the driver fails to leave his vehicle lights on.
Boaters who venture out on rivers or lakes at night and encounter some form of problem with their boat need some means of signalling to other nearby boaters or to persons on shore that they are in difficulty and require assistance.
These are but a few of the many examples of situations in which people require a small, portable source of bright flashing light to attract the attention of others, either to warn of some impending danger or to attract attention for the purpose of providing assistance. There are many diverse situations in which a device such as that of the present invention is of great help, even of dire necessity, particularly in a life threatening situation.
The device of the present invention should not be confused with a typical flashlight, which is intended to provide a high degree of illumination for a short distance for the purpose of providing the holder of the flashlight with sufficient illumination to see his way or perform some task. And although a typical flashlight can, in an emergency, function as a flasher to warn others of impending danger or the need for assistance, it is not intended for that type of use. One drawback of using a flashlight as a flasher is that the flashlight bulb is designed for continuous use, and constant energizing and deenergizing of the bulb to simulate flashing will quickly cause the lighting filament to burn out. In addition, in order to operate a flashlight as a flasher, it is necessary to continuously operate the on-off switch, which requires some form of manual dexterity by the user, thereby diverting his attention from other matters, such as changing the tire, or steering the boat. For these, and other reasons, flashlights simply are inadequate and unacceptable substitutes for a flasher.
Flashers per se are not new, and many can be found in the art and the market place. Typically, flashers fall into two categories, those having a bi-metallic element in an otherwise conventional filament bulb, which is flashed on and off by the bi-metallic element in response to deformation from heat; and those of the so-called "strobe" type in which solid state electronic circuitry controls the intermittent flashing of a strobe bulb capable of emitting light of enormous intensity for a very brief interval of time. A device of the first mentioned type is very inexpensive, but suffers from poor battery life because power is required both to intermittently heat the bi-metallic element and the filament in the bulb. The strobe light has the advantages of long battery life and intense light, even from a small battery, but devices of this type tend to be expensive due to the necessity for solid state circuitry and the physical construction and size of the package required to house the power supply, the electronic circuit boards and the strobe bulb. Thus, prior art devices of this type tend to be of a size that makes them difficult to hold in one hand or to be worn on the body. If they are designed for portability, they are typically difficult to mount in a fixed position on a suitable support. And they tend to be considerably more costly than the first type of flashers mentioned above, thereby making them non-competitive with that type of flasher.
The present invention seeks to provide a device of the character described which retains the advantages of known electronic flasher devices yet avoids the disadvantages and drawbacks thereof by providing certain unique features of design and construction hereinafter disclosed and claimed.